It’s my 3rd run in February, so I thought that I would continue with my quest to seek out new and different runs, for a while, at least!

I was actually driving for 5 minutes or more after I dropped the kids at school this morning, just thinking about where to run and following my intuition at every stop light and intersection. I eventually found myself headed towards Burnaby Lake.

When we used to live in our Burnaby townhouse off North Road, I used to run around Burnaby Lake quite often. Sometimes I would run from our home, go down North Road and then along the Brunette River to the lake, then follow the trail around the lake and then back home. It’s a good 20K run in total and one that I would enjoy when training for a longer race.

After parking my little red car at the east end of the lake on the road, I headed off at a steady pace down the pathway, past the Caribou Dam, and onto the north side trail headed toward Piper Spit.

Burnaby Lake Trail

It only took a few kilometres to remember why I loved running at Burnaby Lake so much. It’s so beautiful and I always feel so close to nature running there. As I ran down the trail, I was totally aware of the lush evergreen trees to my right, stark, leafless deciduous trees dotted all around me and the thick overhanging bushes that often formed archways across the entire trail.

I was really enjoying my run and I was so thankful that my intuition brought me back here. Suddenly, the trail took a fairly sharp turn towards the lake. The trees had all gone and the trail was now twisting and turning through the tall reeds and grass growing from the deep bog and wetlands now all around the raised gravel trail.

In addition to feasting my eyes on this wide variety of rich vegetation, I was also amazed to see so many beautiful birds along that 3.2 km run from the trailhead to Piper Spit. It was an absolute joy to behold.

I happened to pass a man pushing a young baby in a Bob stroller. He was probably old enough to be a younger grandfather but his manner suggested that he was the father. ‘That was me not that long ago’, I thought as we passed each other.

Soon after, I saw another runner headed towards me. I suspected that he was possibly 10 years older than me, yet he was running like a man 20 years younger than his years. ‘That’s where I want to be’, I thought as we passed each other.

I decided to keep running when I reached Piper Spit to get a little extra distance under my belt and to continue what was developing into an amazing run. Even the morning cloud had dispersed to reveal the sun. For a brief moment, it felt like spring.

After a few more kilometers, I turned down a trail to the left and reached the water’s edge, which seemed like the right place to turn around and head back.

Piper Spit

I decided to stop for a few minutes at Piper Spit on the way back, just to observe the lake and the wildlife for a quiet moment. There were the usual hundreds of ducks, geese and an assortment of other waterfowl waiting for their regular visitors to feed them. I walked out to the end of the boardwalk to see the beaver lodge but no sign of the ‘little critters’ today. Then I was off along the path to enjoy the rest of my run.

I had visited my father-in-law Carl early this morning. He was out of hospital and back home. The pain specialist seemed to have helped him sufficiently with the pain management but he looked so tired and frail.

I must do my best to keep running and have it continue to be an integral part of my life for as long as my legs will carry me, was my next thought. There was a time after my accident that I wondered if I would be able to run again. It took me 2 years of hard work to get back to where I am today.

I no longer feel the need to run faster or to break any PR’s. It’s now about enjoying the running experience and the sheer joy of simply being able to run. I really love running. It has served me well for over the past 30 years and it will serve me well for the rest of my days, God willing.’

And with that comforting thought in mind, I gave thanks and then enjoyed a comfortable, steady pace all the way back to my car.

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the “X” in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.